Engineering a Remedy
by Hadronix
Summary: Traveling is almost as staple for Pandarens leaving the Wandering Isle as the ale they drink. Obviously all of them are not born equally, some might even choose to settle down, rather then explore the world. Some wish to wield heavy plate, some prefer magic. However, for Hadronix, she wants to travel, aspires to be a Hunter, but can't in the normal sense...
1. Physically Inferior

**Summary:** Traveling is almost as staple for Pandarens leaving the Wandering Isle as the ale they drink. Obviously all of them are not born equally, some might even choose to settle down, rather then explore the world. Some wish to wield heavy plate, some prefer magic.

However, for Hadronix, she wants to travel, aspires to be a Hunter, but can't. She lacks the genetics to properly develop her muscles. That won't stop her from finding a way, she'll just need to approach being a Hunter from a different standpoint.

* * *

**A/N:** So, yeah... origin story for my OC, but technically this isn't the first 'version' of Hadronix. She was first a FF idea, which was pushed aside until I made a Hadronix in-game, to which I based a story from that one.

Headcanon abound.

* * *

A lone orange-furred Pandaren stands in an archery range in the middle of the night, shakily drawing a bow, "Steady... aim…" She slowly says as her arms fail to keep a steady grip, "Breathe… Fire." The practice arrow plops a pitiful half a yard or so before landing on the ground. "Ancestors…" She sighs and grabs another. "Steady... aim..." She repeats the process, but receives the same results. "Ugh…" She tosses the bow aside and falls down on the ground.

"Still up, Hadronix?" She startles as the gentle voice of the Innkeeper walks up to her, she too is a Pandaren, though she is of the black-and-white furred kind, her gentle gray eyes scan the Hunter-in-training over. "You aren't going to do much better if you spend another night practicing."

Her own jade eyes meet the gentle woman's, "I'm far enough behind as is, ma'am." She shakily grabs the bow, "I'm on the border of being kicked out." She draws another arrow and grunts as she puts all of her might into this one… only for it to go mere inches farther than the rest. Tears escape Hadronix's eyes. "Maybe…"

"Have you tried for anything else?" She gently asks.

She nods, "I've no magical aptitude, so that eliminates nearly all combat-related things. Ancestors… how can I properly travel without being able to defend myself?" She looks at her arms and snorts in disgust, "Why did I have to be born with this…" She pauses, _'I'm sorry, but you have a rare genetic defect. You won't ever be able to grow the standard amount of muscle…'_

She is startled out of her thoughts by the Innkeeper wiping some tears away, "Well, have you thought about anything in a more passive role? There are traveling traders."

Hadronix knows she is trying to lighten her mood, "I'm too brash for trading." She glances at her bow, it's old but not worn, why? Because she doesn't have the muscle to actually put any strain on it. "Forget it." She places both the bow and practice arrows and returns to the inn that the Hunter trainers provided, might as well get a good night's sleep, it'll probably be her last in here.

The inn itself only has a few occupants up at this hour, "and sho I shaid," a gnome hiccups as he talks to… a chair. He is alone and he is talking to a chair. "If your brains were ash big as your hoof, then maybe you could cali…" another hiccup, "caliberate… calibrate your devishes… devices!" He seems to be waiting for the laughter to follow. Hadronix raises an eyebrow as he takes another sip, then lets out a loud belch. _'He's really something.'_

Shaking her head, she moves to go up the stairs and walks up to her door, then gently opens it and steps inside. She didn't have much, but to be honest, that's how most of the Hunter trainees were. Their supplies are found in the wild, they only bring what they can only get or craft in civilizations, even the ones who have the fancy, but highly priced enchanted pouches. "Another day, another reminder of how I'm not going to make it." She walks over to her bed and just lies down, not even bothering to remove her training clothes, or move the sheets to cover herself, not even place the pillow under her head, while one foot hangs off the bed.

* * *

Hadronix wakes up on the floor… again. She gets up and stretches herself out, then flinches as some idiot starts banging something on the first floor's tavern section. "Oy! Keep it down!" She hears someone shout from the hallway, "Not all of us are morning birds!" Shrugging to herself, she leaves her room and walks down the stairs, then gets a bowl of soup, some bread, and a glass of water. It's not like she needs a ton of energy…

Even as some prick stumbles onto table she chose to sit at and knocks the bowl of soup over. _'Well, there goes one free bowl of soup… I didn't like the broth anyway.'_She grabs the bread and water off the table before some other person caused those to drop, too.

"Class tests are today!" She overhears someone giddily exclaim.

"...shouldn't have drank so much last night, whoops." Another one says.

"Aw, lighten up, you fight better drunk anyway."

"Ironarm won't see it that way, he wants his students sober before bashing them in the head with his shield." Ah, the Warrior trainer.

"Then show him what-for, get drunk and kick his ass yourself." The first one goads.

Hadronix shakes her head and takes a small bite of her bread, _'at least it's fresh.' _The only chance of redemption she has on her test will be trap-making… maybe a bit on animal taming, but as for actual combat? Forget it.

"I suggest you keep your distance, or I will Discombobulate you so intensely that you will turn into an egg inside of a chicken!" The hunter-in-training raises her eyebrow and stifles a giggle at the absurdity of that threat. "H-hey! That's delicate stuff!" She spares a glance, _'It's the gnome who was talking to a chair.' _There is currently a human next to him, he looks like he is just hitting puberty…

Then the device the gnome was working on let out a small puff of smoke and the gnome's face drops. Seemingly satisfied, the human walks away. The gnome grumbles a threat with words so large and complex that she is sure he is just stringing words together. "Nope, this is what I get for procrastination… there goes my chance at the Engineering entrance exam." He slides back into his chair.

_'Someone I can relate to in some way, then.' _She finishes her bread and water and walks over to him, then respects the distance for his work, "Hi." She simply greets.

"Come to break it? Well, you're too late." He idly tinkers with it.

"What is it?" She looks it over, compared to some of the other devices she occasionally sees, this one looks rather simple.

"It **was** going to be a force amplifier, something I could attach to a weapon to allow us 'tiny and frail' Gnomes to hit like a Tauren… if I got it work properly, instead it comes out more 'Human' than 'Tauren'."

That peaks her interest, "Which weapons?"

His own face brightens, he seems excited to share information, "Well, I started simple, going for a sword first, then I'll expand and configure it to work on other weapons."

"Like bows?" She asks almost the same second he finished.

He pauses, then nods, "I could, but might I ask why the enthusiasm? Unlike most melee weapons, bows can be made lighter."

She scoffs, "Not for someone who lacks the genetic makeup to form muscles properly."

A moment passes and realization dawns on him, "My condolences, miss…"

"Hadronix."

"Sprits Gearshifter." He extends a tiny arm and she shakes it. "So, I'm taking an assumption, you are training to be a Hunter?" He looks her armor over. "And uh, no last name?"

"Would be nice, but I'm probably going to be kicked out today. I can't pass any of the combat portions." She slumps back and lets out a heavy sigh, "Parents didn't even bother naming me when they left me in the orphanage, so I only got a first name." She could have, but it's not like she can make enough of an impact to care.

He furrows his brows, "What else is there besides combat?"

"Pet taming, survival skills like plant identification, and trap making."

"And… I'm assuming you won't graduate unless you pass all of them?"

"I need at least one combat, under either melee or ranged, then two of the three non-combat related to pass." She sighs, "I can't carry any of the two-handed melee weapons, one-handed weapons come out weak, my arrows fly about a half-dozen feet, while crossbows and guns are **just** heavy enough to keep me from having a steady grip."

He looks at his device, then her, "When is your test?"

"Wildhoof is a night cow, so when the sun starts to set. Why?"

"Well, the Profession exams are next week… if I adjust this for a bow, would…"

"She won't allow outside help, else I would gladly do it." She shakes her head. "I deeply thank you for the thought, though."

"Oh, rusted bolts…" He frowns. "Okay, how about this, would you just be willing to test it if I adjusted it for bows? I mean, you don't have to pass to wield bows, right?"

She nods, "Nothing is stopping anyone from buying a weapon and heading out on their own, but…" Her face brightens, "I see where you're going with this. There is a major disadvantage to not passing, and that is access to an advanced trainer, but I could learn in due time. Alright mister Gearshifter, I'm in!"

"Wonderful! I'll start modifying it right now." Suddenly, his mood seems to improve tenfold as he starts tinkering with it.

Smiling to herself, she quietly gets up and heads out, might as well do something. She takes several dozen steps out away from the closest building and pulls out her trap materials, _'Something that doesn't require a lot of force…' _She hums to herself as she loses herself in the familiar sounds of 'clicking' and 'snapping' of the metal parts coming together…

* * *

Hours seem to fly by as she puts traps together and takes them apart seemingly faster and faster each time, _'At least I'm good at _**_something_ **_.'_

"Ah, there you… woah!" She quickly turns around just as Gearshifter steps on one of the triggers for her grease trap, _'Thank the ancestors I was only working on the non-lethal stuff' _, but what she wasn't expecting was that the grease loosened up her ice trap **just** enough to set that one off, which ended up activating her explosive trap,_'Very thankful that was a small charge' _and finally, the fire hits burns the rope from her tripwire and a bucket of water drops. "Ow…" Gearshifter carefully gets up from the grease, then stares at the domino-style mess that happened.

"My apologies, I should have…"

"Did you set this up?" He looks amazed.

She nods, "At least a half-dozen times."

"All of it?" Another nod, "By yourself?" A third nod, this time with a smirk, "Have you ever considered Engineering?"

She frowns, "Traps are so simple compared to the devices Engineers create."

But to her confusion, he laughs, "Hadronix, does a Warrior aspiring to specialize as Arms immediately use greatswords as their first lesson? Do Mages learn Pyroblasts as their first spell? Do Hunters go and tame a powerful and exotic beast as their first pet?" She shakes her head, "Engineering is no different, in fact, traps are a common starting point, they build a foundation, before moving on to advanced things."

"I… understand." By now, the traps effects have dissipated, "but no, I've never considered it."

"How about, after your Hunter test, I'll give you a crash course on what the beginners learn?" He offers. "Granted, I'm no teacher myself, but I can pass along the simplest of gadgets."

She smiles, "That sounds great."

He smiles in return, "I'll be looking forward to it."


	2. Technically Superior

**Dizzpen:** Well, I'm glad I caught your interest... though, just know this is only five chapters long in total.

Oh, I **love** Pandarens. And once I get around to it, I'll type up two more, one of each of my other Pandaren OCs.

Enjoy!

* * *

The Hunter test went as well as Hadronix expected. Traps? Flying colors. Survival skills? Well above average. Pets? Not bad, but not great. Ranged? He didn't bother giving her a score. Melee? Refer to ranged. The verdict? Pursue another calling…

Which means she had to remove all of her belongings from the inn, which wasn't much to begin with. There was a cheap bow, so commonly made that a **child** should be able to handle it, her trap materials, which after yesterday's accident meant that she lost over half of them. A single dagger, the **only** thing she can use moderately swing with enough force to injure, and her training armor.

Mementos? She was born on the Wandering Isle without knowing her parents a day in her life, the only memories she has is of the orphanage. The first big thing she spent anything on was on a hot-air balloon off of the great turtle. The trip could have been free, but that came with the agreement of joining either the Horde or the Alliance, a war she didn't want to stick her nose in. _'Not that either would actually keep me after they learn about my huge issue...'_

She really hopes the pursuit of Engineering is the thing that gets her off her feet, or else… she shakes her head, nope, not now. _'I have to meet up with Gearshifter.' _She takes one last look at the room the Hunter trainer supplies the trainees with, before closing the door, heading down the stairs, and giving the innkeeper the key. She gives her a reassuring smile, "You'll find something, Hadronix. Everyone does, it just might take some time. I will beseech the Celestials to aid you."

She smiles and bows, "Thank you, ma'am." And with that, Hadronix leaves the inn and heads to another building, where the sound of small adjustments are being made… along with the occasional "Oh, crap" or small *boom*. She gently knocks and the door opens, "Is Gearshifter here?" She keeps her voice quiet.

"Oh, thank the stone, someone who doesn't slam on the door or shouts…" The door opens more to reveal a dwarf, whose face is clean shaven, _'It looks weird to see a bald dwarf.' _"But yes, he is." He lets her in. "Right there, lass." He gestures towards the corner.

Hadronix nods her thanks and carefully makes her way there, making sure not to bother anyone else, "Hello." She gently greets.

He raises a finger while making some more adjustments, before he seems satisfied and looks at her. "May I ask how…?"

She frowns, "It went like I thought it would, failed the combat portion… at least the traps were praised, 'Best damn ones I've seen in a long time'." She quotes him. "So, what did you want to show me first?"

He has a mischievous glint in his eyes, "This." He hands her a device and several tools, _'It's slender, but long, and there are several lights and small notches for adjustments.' _"I wanted your opinion before anything, feel free to mess with it, it's already considered scrap."

"What was it supposed to be?"

"I uh… had a technical difficulty when converting the sword amplifier to a bow amplifier and it… imploded. The power source is fine, but it blew a number of wires out of place."

"So, the one you were working on is the newer version?" She gestures towards it.

He nods, "I should have started on a new one to begin with, it is rarely a good idea to change a device's original purpose."

Hadronix nods and looks the ruined bow amplifier… then pulls out her cheap bow, _'It looks like it's a little too large for it.' _Her eyes glance from the bow to the device… _'I have an idea.' _She picks up a small…

"Gyromatic Adjuster." He supplies, "That is for fine-tuning devices, a must-have for precise adjustments… which is almost all the time." She nods her thanks and starts to work…

* * *

Hadronix is lost in her own little world as she keeps tinkering with it and by now, she has taken it apart, reconnect the wires, adjusted it, put it back together, more adjustments…

And the only help she had was Gearshifter telling her each specific tool's purpose is. At some point, the Gnome even stopped on his as he chose to simply watch her work. Finally satisfied with her work, she held it up. _'I've managed to adjust it, and tone down the size for my pitiful excuse for a bow.' _She then startles as she just notices not just Gearshifter's gaze, but also the dwarf, who she assumes is the teacher, gaze locked on her.

"Did I… break a rule?" She sheepishly asks as she shifts uncomfortably.

"I never seen anyone so focused on their work, that they didn't acknowledge an **explosion** ." The dwarf states as he gestures to the other side, where there is, in fact, a plume of smoke still rising alongside crackling wires and a human who has burnt their hair off. _'Maybe the dwarf is bald from an accident?' _"Whatcha got there, lass?"

"Gearshifter said it was a sword amplifier turned into a bow amplifier, but it malfunctioned." She glances over at the Gnome, who nods in confirmation. "He told me I could tinker with it."

The dwarf seems bothered, "You gave her a malfunctioned device?"

"It simply imploded, the wires were out of place." He nervously smiles.

"Lad, there is nothing 'simple' about any sort of implosion, explosion, or malfunction. What if something worse happened while the lass was working on it?" He chides the naturally short man.

Gearshifter turns towards Hadronix, "My apologies, I have put unnecessary risk on you." She looks at the gnome, the dwarf, the bow amplifier she was working on, then her own bow…

Then she smirks. "Uh, lass, I realize yer new here, but this is no laughing matter."

"Oh, this smirk isn't for laughter, this is what shows whenever I'm pretty sure I figured something out." Now the entire class is looking her way. "Gearshifter, have you ever handled a bow before?"

He shakes his head, "No."

She attaches the amplifier to her bow, "Then, no wonder it malfunctioned. You wired it so that the force applied would add to a 'slashing' motion, rather than a more passive role of easing the strain on the user's body." She withdraws a practice arrow and pulls back, "Steady... aim," Her arms are noticeably **not** shaking, "Breathe… fire." The arrow pierces through the air with ease, burying itself into the wooden wall on the far side, "Like so." The smirk never left.

"I am impressed," The dwarf simply comments, "By why show it off? That device sounds like something you'd give a child."

The smirk leaves and her face falls. "Because… **this** is why." She gently removes it, knocks another arrow. "Steady… aim," Her arms tremble once more, "Breathe… fire." Compared to the last one, this one makes it to the table right in front of her before plummeting down, "I have a physical deformity, I **can't** apply the force needed to properly use a bow… or even a short sword." It comes out harsh, _'And here comes the laughter and accusations.'_

She waits, "Would you be interested in joining my upcoming class?" The teacher asks after several minutes of silence.

She startles and chokes on her words, "Uh… pardon? I… but this is his invention."

"Partially true lass, but Engineering is rarely a solo effort. 'Two minds are better than one'." He quotes. "Generally speaking, there are usually at least three, one contributes the idea, one brings that idea into reality, and one is the… for the lack of a better term, guinea pig."

Gearshifter nods, "While I did think of it, I was unable to get it to work properly, but with your experience in bows, you not only saw the problem, but also fixed it. As such, it is just as much as your invention as mine."

She smiles, _'Perhaps this is just what I need. While I may not be able to get a certified Hunter trainer, I can make up my flaws with Engineering.' _She locks eyes with the teacher, "I'm in."

* * *

_'Life is a weird mistress,' _the thought occurs to her as she returns to that same inn with a paper in hand and a huge smile on her face. "Oh, hello Hadronix." The innkeeper smiles. "I am happy to see you in such high spirits."

She offers the paper, "Same room, if it's available." While all Class trainers offer lodging, only a few Profession ones do the same, thankfully, Engineering is one of them._'They really need the solitude.'_

She raises an eyebrow as she looks it over, "Oh, I'm so glad." She grabs the **same** key Hadronix gave to her no more than five hours ago, "Everything checks out, here you go."

"Thank you, ma'am." A quick bow as she grabs the keys and returns to her room. "Life is a weird thing…" She places everything back to where they were before, along with the new set of supplies from the Engineering trainer. "Now, I have to make something for that entrance exam… something new." While yes, he offered the opportunity, he still has to abide by the rules, she needs to come up with a good device of her own make. _"As I said, Engineering is usually a joint effort, so you need to either come up with the idea yourself, or help someone else make their idea a reality."_

She shakes her head, no, she's determined to do one better. Come up with an idea **and** make it herself, besides, while Engineering is a communal effort, being a Hunter is all about you, your pet, and the wild. She nods to herself, she will use Engineering as a way to make her path as a Hunter, even if she will never get a proper trainer.

Now, to reduce the strain on the Apprentice classes and to prevent those aspiring to pursue professions, the only devices she can't submit are on a list that is reviewed by the Council of Professions. This is one of the most popular rules, since there are simply so many ideas that have already been used, that naturally over the years, a unique concept becomes harder and harder to find.

So that leaves just one question, _'What will I make?' _The first thing that comes to mind is something else that will assist in being able to perform the requirements of a Hunter, she snaps her furred fingers, _'Scopes are not on the list… but it would be too easy to just make a basic scope, so what should I add to it?' _With the initial idea sparked, she pulls out her notepad and pen, then writes it down.

* * *

Hadronix all but locked herself in her room, usually coming out to eat, drink, and wash, before throwing her effort right back onto the scope. A few times, however, she had to make a quick trip to Steelbolt, the Dwarven teacher, and get a few supplies. She found the days going by so fast, it felt like she only works an hour or two before it's time to eat, then another hour before she sleeps and starts a new day.

A gentle knock on her door breaks her from looking over her scope, _'So close,' _she shrugs to herself, she still has three days, maybe a break is in order. She walks over to the door, where Gearshifter stands, "Oh good, you're still alive." He quips, "I understand you are determined, but you are going to wear yourself out if all you do is work."

She smiles, "You read my mind, I was just about ready to take a break."

He laughs, "Good, good. I was afraid you would have went down one of the pitfalls of starting a new… anything really. Pushing yourself until you collapse."

"I think I'll walk around, nothing too big." She comments. "What about you?"

"...It's happy hour." He sheepishly smiles.

"Go on ahead, I'm not much on alcohol." She pauses as she notices a strange look, "Just because I am a Pandaren doesn't mean I like to drink myself to a stupor." She giggles while shaking her head, "I'll see you later." Hadronix grabs a few items, her modified cheap bow, a quiver of arrows, and some materials for both Engineering and traps… then sneaks her scope in for good measure. Gearshifter has already settled himself in the tavern as she walks out. She waves as she leaves the inn.

She starts walking without a specific destination in mind, despite taking a 'break' she can't get her mind off of the scope. _'Maybe I meant to just be an Engineer?' _But she doesn't want to be shoved into a workspace all day, she still wants to travel. No, she'll stick to her earlier idea, use Engineering to allow her to perform tasks… _'That the average person can do on their own.'_

"Oh, look, it's 'Flimsy Limbs'!" She stops at the nickname, "Careful, you might sprain an ankle walking too fast." She sighs at the immaturity, before resuming, "And now she's acting all refined, where's the tears?"

Hadronix turns towards the offending voice's direction, it's the same human that messed with Gearshifter's device. She looks him over, _'Spoiled brat.'_

"Ooo, she's staring me down." She just notices a few others next to him, all humans that aren't even adults.

"Oh look, an elusive 'Gaggle of Idiots'." She retorts. "Don't see those too often."

They simply laugh in response, "A sharp wit don't mean shite if you can't back it up with action." Another one states. "We can handle swords, can you?"

"Nah, I don't give myself to random men like you do." She smirks and flutters her eyelids.

And to her benefit, it takes them a moment to catch the underlying innuendo, "Pervert." The leader scoffs. She draws her bow and knocks an arrow, "How far can you fire it now? A few inches further?"

The smirk stays, "That's about right." She lets the string go and it pierces the boy's leg, in a small gap between his shoes and pants, "A few inches into your body."

He yells in agony as he topples over, "You… bitch!" He shoots the others a look, "Well, get a medic!"

She puts her bow back on, _'Oh yes, I have found my calling.' _She walks away with an air of confidence.


	3. Contract Wh, er, Killer

**SilverEagle11:** Well, thank you.

* * *

Hadronix sits quietly at a desk as she waits for Steelbolt to get to her spot, her scope on full display. There are a three attachments next to it, one for each ranged weapon, bow, crossbow, and gun. Her experience in the other two ranged weapons is limited, but she knows enough to get the scope on it. The only real 'problem' is that it looks like a normal scope, she didn't want to risk the effectiveness by making it look fancy…

Like all the other entries are capable of. She is the only one who lacks the experience to make hers both appealing to the eye and capable of its purpose. "Alright lass, whatcha got fer me?" She can already see his look of disapproval at the design of it.

She smirks, "I know it doesn't look fancy, but it is capable of five levels of zoom: Standard, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x. It has a switch for an infrared overlay, and the lens blocks most issues of glaring. It also has an attachment for each of the three main ranged weapon types, physical ones, that is."

With his interest piqued, he gently picks it up and looks it over again, "That's pretty ambitious for an Apprentice entry, let's see how much of it stands to your claims." As with the other ones, he starts testing it. "Standard cleared…" He starts, "mhm, alright…" he glances at her, "Two problems with the magnification, both are connected to each other, since the levels are fixed, there is a short period where the user won't see anything. A wheel-based system would fix that." He nods.

The smirk fades, _'Yeah…' _. He resumes testing it, "Infrared's better than the standard issue," He brings out a device from his pocket and places it on the table, then turns it on, a bright light emits, he chuckles, "Most? More like, what glare?" The device turns off and he puts it back. "Welcome aboard, Hadronix. Now," He gently places the scope down and pulls out his clipboard and paper, "Who introduced the idea?" He asks with a practiced ease.

"I did." The smirk returns.

He nods and writes it down, "Who brought the idea into existence."

"I did."

He pauses, and gives her a scrutinizing gaze, "Alright, and finally, who tested it?"

"Also me."

His glare intensifies, as if he's trying to pry the truth from looks alone. His eyes bore into her for several moments, then he finally breaks it and laughs, "You've placed some pretty high standards, lass. I hope you didn't use up all of yer brainpower on this one." He signs the paper off and hands it to her, "Don't lose it." He moves on, "Alright lad, whatcha got fer me?" He asks Gearshifter.

But the rest falls to background noise as Hadronix reads the paper over, _'Approved for Apprentice Engineering under Professor Steelbolt.' _Her heart fills with pride,_'Hadronix, Apprentice Engineer' _.

* * *

If it wasn't for that small oversight with the zoom, then it would have been perfect, _"Don't get discouraged, lass. Nothing is perfect." _Steelbolt told her after the exam was finished, _"And don't ever forget this, absolutely everything you will ever make will _**_not_ **_work 100% of the time. Be prepared for anything." _With those words of wisdom in mind she makes the trip back to the inn.

"Hold up!" Oh, it's that man again.

She turns to see a cast around the area she shot him in. "Oh look, a wild 'Limpy' appears." She snickers…

Then he draws a sword. "Lucky for me, we're out of the legal reach of the guards."

"My last shot wasn't a fluke, you'll be down before you reach me." She draws her bow.

"It isn't just me, Flimsy." Several more show up. "The boys and I are gonna teach you a lesson. Right?"

Hadronix's eyes dart from one to the other, _'Way too outnumbered, I'm going to have to play this smart.' _She knocks an arrow. "I don't mind testing out a few things on you guys, whose first?"

"Cocky bear…" Two of them charge…

And one of them drops with not even a sound as he sprouts a metal appendage in his heart. "Fancy meeting you here, **boys** ." Another Pandaren, _'That looks just like me… creepy.' _Well, she has almost no armor on, opting to wear an old worn red vest and red short shorts. She has two swords, one in each hand, "Perfect timing, too. I hope you wouldn't mind… **indulging** me with your masculine presence?" Her voice comes out sultry.

"Keep out of this, slut!" Another man exclaims, "This is between us and Flimsy over there."

She tuts and places a hand on her hip, "See, there's the problem." She somehow pulls a paper out with her grip still on her sword, "I have business with you and it involves you joining your friend right here." She gestures towards the lifeless corpse.

"You have a contract?" The leader asks, "Then you're a fool to just show yourself."

The assassin? Spares a look at Hadronix, "I got this, sweetie." She winks. "Come on boys, it's better when there's more." In response, they all charge her _'She's insane.'_Despite her suggestion, Hadronix nocked an arrow…

Then puts it back as she effortlessly dodges strike after strike, while dropping them on at a time with a single, well-placed pierce. _'...Insanely good.' _She seems to have a mix of styles going on, the fluidity and flexibility of a Monk, the stamina and some of the muscular build of a Warrior, and the precision and lethality of a Rogue. _'Was she just unsure of what to pursue?'_

"I'm out of here!" One of them runs and she somehow finds the time to throw a dagger at him, it pierces his neck.

"I suppose this is the best a group of teenagers can do..." She **yawns** and her body seems to distort. For a half a second, she is behind one man, the next she is running another one through and within a mere three seconds, the last **six** drop dead. She wipes her blades clean and sheathes them, then flashes Hadronix a sultry smile. "Lotus." She walks up to her. "And what is the damsel's name, hm?"

"Hadronix." She answers. "And I'm not a damsel, I could've handled it myself." _'No, I couldn't have taken them all.'_

"Is that so?" She coos, _'Jeez, he wasn't too far off when calling her a slut.' _Yet, before Hadronix could blink, she was on the ground with a dagger on her throat, "And now?"

"That was impressive," Hadronix avoids the question, "you have to be pretty fast to pop in and out like that."

She raises an eyebrow, then scowls, "You actually saw me? Damn, I must be getting rusty." She pulls the dagger back and offers a hand.

"I… wasn't supposed to?"

She scoffs, "Of course not, ancestors, if my old Rogue trainer learned that someone saw me like that…"

"Old Rogue trainer?" She goads.

She snorts, "You new? You don't stay with one trainer until you're finished, you got to find more advanced ones later down the road." She rolls her eyes, then looks her over, before smiling, "So, do I get a reward for saving you?"

"You have that contract, it's not like…"

"I'm not talking about gold, sweetie." She winks.

Hadronix shivers from the raw sultriness, "You don't even know me."

"Makes it all the easier, we won't have to worry about things like… developing feelings." Hadronix starts flushing, "Aw, come on. I'll make it quick, just a few minutes to have you squirming."

"And if I don't want to?"

She pouts, "Then I'll guess I'll just leave. A shame though, I like your body."

Hadronix hesitates, "A few minutes?"

She smirks, kind of like her, "A few minutes."

"...Alright, let's…" She squeaks as Lotus kisses her on the spot.

"It'll take longer to get to a room than it will for me to get both of us off." Her breath is hot. "Don't bother trying to take control." Her words carry an underlying threat, "Because that is my job."

_'Wow…' _Hadronix steadies her breathing out as she slowly gets up, Lotus was gone mere minutes after she brought an orgasm to both the Hunter and herself. It took Hadronix another twenty or so minutes to regain enough feeling to get her armor back on. _'She's good.' _Shaking the remaining effects of Lotus's skilled fingerwork… and tongue… and mouth. _'Nope, focus.' _She forces the thoughts away and resumes walking to the inn. Time to sleep the rest of the 'encounter' with Lotus off… Though, one thing bothers her. Sure those teenagers were a bunch of asses, and sure Hadronix would've have killed them.

But the Engineer would have done it in self-defense, and would have at least tried to spare them. Lotus? It looked like she didn't care, being more concerned about the contract rather than their lives. _'I can't even comprehend how someone could detach themselves from emotions.'_

* * *

**A/N:** And so enter Lotus... 'pre-betrayal'.


	4. A Master in Her Own Way

Over the years, Hadronix has successfully managed to overcome her flaws with Engineering. Due to her glaring limitations, she has devoted her time to inventing things that allow her to do things she should have been able to, but can't. Despite the frequent success, Steelbolt showed concern, _"Lass, you have a brilliant mind, you are a true intellect. But, could you make something that the community could use as a whole? Rather than for yerself or someone in a similar condition as you?"_

That struck a chord with Hadronix, Steelbolt knew how much her physical capabilities affected her, it was something she made clear with that one shot that first day when Gearshifter brought her to the class. _'So why is he telling me to redirect my efforts? Sure, they might _**_benefit_ **_from my work. But I _**_need_ **_Engineering, it isn't a want, or a quality of life, it's a necessity.' _She… might have gotten a little worked up over it, but she kept herself from lashing out. Still, it is a very sore subject as her muscles will be something that will never be fixed.

Regardless, she rose through the ranks of Engineering. Apprentice? Flying colors. Journeyman? Only slightly tougher. Expert? After a few misunderstandings she passed well enough. Artisan? Problems started coming up, but it wasn't her intellect that was being tested. She found that if she had to perform actions very quickly and precisely, that her **arms** would start trembling, like she was trying to draw her bow without the amplifier.

So, that is when she hit another roadblock. The Artisan trainer praised her for her mental capability, but since she was unable to meet the physical demands, there was nothing else he could do. _'Still, reaching Artisan that quickly is no small matter.' _She assures herself as she starts what she had wanted to do for years… travel. She finally had the means to do it, nearly everything she owns is modified in some form or fashion. She has the tools to climb, move rocks, if she could name it, she probably had the means to do it.

And it felt great.

Right now, her current route will take her to her people's homeland, Pandaria. She wants to see if she can find her parents, or in the worse case, pay respect to their graves. So, she walks the forests Stranglethorn, her first stop is none other than the Steamwheedle capital, Booty Bay. Wild beasts lurk no more than a dozen paces off the paved road. The only thing keeping the beasts from pouncing is a rather weak enchantment that staves off the common predator. Unfortunately, those wards don't work on strong ones like pack leaders, or the more common problem, bandits, but in this region, pirates.

"Aw, she's a crier." Hadronix overhears at one point, with the destination in sight. "What's your name?"

"R-Raven, sir." The voice stutters out, "Pl-please, I'm j-just…" She squeaks out.

The Engineer moves in quietly and ends up seeing the tell-tale red clothing of a Bloodsail Buccaneer. The man has a dagger to a female Pandaren, _'By the ancestors, how many Pandarens look just like _**_me_ **_?' _If it wasn't for the severity of the situation, Hadronix would let out a sigh of aggravation at the absurdity of it. "Keep still woman." He snarls.

Raven has a light-blue and misty-green armor set on. There is a staff on the ground next to her. "I-I-I, j-just want t-to g-g-get to Booty B-Bay, s-sir, please…" Hadronix nocks and arrow, _'Steady, aim…' _She goes through the notions, _'breathe… fire.' _Her shot lands true and the man sprouts a wooden appendage in his brain. Raven screeches and backs up to the tree behind her. "Don't h-hurt me!"

"I'm not going to." Hadronix shows herself, bow strapped to her back and hands up, "I'm here to save you from that… filth."

Yet, she still shakes violently, almost to the point where Hadronix could have mistaken it for a seizure. "O-Okay…" She slowly nods and picks her staff up. "Th-Thank you, m-ma'am." She puts the staff on her back… and stands there shaking, it was then Hadronix's keen eyes picked up a small cut, the pirate had poisoned her!

"Raven, you are aware he poisoned you, right?" Hadronix slowly approaches.

She squeaks and tries to back up further, "H-he d-did?"

"Please, calm down. Let me treat you, alright?" She reaches into her enchanted pouch, "I am pulling out an antidote, this treats most common toxins." She slowly pulls out a vial with a syringe. "Is it okay if I inject this in you?"

Her eyes widen, "Pl-Please, I-I don't…" _'Wow, she is blushing so hard that even her fur can't hide it. This poor woman.'_

She nods, "I am walking closer," It seems her voicing her intentions causes the other Pandaren to ease up a little, "I am bringing the antidote to your arm, underside of your elbow." She gently, carefully, and slowly grabs the woman's hand, "Please, take a breath and look away."

"B-But… needle." She squeaks out.

"It won't hurt as much if…" Hadronix sighs, _'I need a different approach. Because this isn't going to work.' _"Alright, since you can't stay still, then I can't apply this to you." Her eyes lock on a vein, _'This… is a risky idea.'_

Raven's eyes lock on Hadronix and she shakes her head, "N-no, please! I'll… AH!" She cries out as the Engineer quickly thrusts the syringe in and injects it. "Wh-why…?" And now she is understandably cowering in fear. Tears are streaming down her face so much that she is surprised that she still has tears left. "Y-You s-said…"

"I'm sorry, but you were making it impossible to get it in the normal way." Hadronix grabs a cloth and wraps the injection site and the small dagger wound around it. "Hey." She jumps in place, "You are going to Booty Bay, right?"

She quickly nods, "Y-Yes, I-I was g-going to t-take a b-b-boat t-t P-Pandaria."

Hadronix gives her a gentle smile, "Well, you're in luck, because I am doing the exact same thing. How about I watch your back the rest of the way?"

Another nod, but this one was really slow, "O-okay…"

This poor woman.

* * *

If going by their initial meeting was anything to go by, then Hadronix would have expected for Raven to remain jumpy, shaking, stuttering, but… she wasn't. Not all the time, for most of the trip, the monk all but shoved herself into the hunter's personal space, held her close, and stayed like that. It was annoying, it made her feel hot, it limited her movement, but she didn't want to scare her off, so she dealt with it. "Uh, Raven… we're here."

The Monk slowly removed herself and gazed in awe at the sight around them. "W-wow…" Hadronix had a hard time figuring out what caught her eyes so much, Booty Bay looks old, the wooden planks are rank, the water looks green, the houses seem close to falling apart. _'But, then again, Goblins are all about saving as much coin as possible…' _Raven returned to Hadronix and tugged on her shirt, more like a child than the adult she actually is. "U-um… w-would it b-be too much t-to e-eat with m-me?" She has an innocence in her eyes, like today is the first day that literally anything bad happened to her.

Hadronix shrugs, "Sure. Where to?" Not the best question, but…

She smiles and gently grabs the hunter's hand, "This way." She said in a voice so small that Hadronix almost missed it. The two ended up on a small part of the nearby mountain that has taken on a flat shape… and not a single cook in sight. "It'll b-be a few m-moments."

"With wh… oh." Raven must have been part of a very rich family, as she starts pulling out an assortment of cooking equipment from her enchanted bags, which included the materials.

"Wh-when we g-get to Pandaria, I-I h-have to take you to H-Halfhill." She flashes a bigger smile and starts to work at an amazing speed.

"Have to?" She echoes.

"Yes! S-So you c-can meet m-my t-teachers."

"Okay… teachers of…?"

She giggles, "The ch-chefs of H-Halfhill are the m-most ex-experienced ones in the w-world… and I'm," Ancestors, she already finished two dishes? She brings them over, "A Master Chef." She proclaims with a high amount of pride. She bows, "Enjoy."

Hadronix recognizes a lot of the ingredients, but they don't seem to be local, Pandaria, maybe? Regardless she takes a bite of this carrot and beef stew and, _'Wow…' _She has to be tasting the single best dish she has ever eaten, and this was made by a woman who is a complete nervous wreck when something as small as a hand clap can startle her out of her fur. She glances over at the Pandaren, who is now humming happily while kicking her feet around, a huge grin on her face, like she is a child, rather than the adult she actually is...

And she is a Master Cook, the highest rank. _'Well then…'_

* * *

The boat ride was… tolerable at best. Due to their destination, they wasn't many passengers on board. Hadronix opted to lean on one of the poles out on the deck, relishing the salty air. Raven is… somewhere, but as long as she isn't screaming, the hunter supposes she'll be fine. "We're docking soon!" The few days passed by without incident. Hadronix glances at the destination, even from here it looks beautiful. Taking out her goggles, she puts them on and adjusts the magnification, _'Let's see…' _.

Green dominates the scenery. Huge trees pepper the top of the elevated land, a quick glance down shows multiple paths that zig-zag up the side of the cliff. She can also barely make out the head of a statue, "...it's scaled…" She mutters to herself.

"Th-That would b-be Yu'Lon, the Jade Serpent." Hadronix startles as Raven is suddenly beside her. A gentle smile is on her face.

The hunter places her goggles in her enchanted bag, but it isn't nearly as spacious as Raven's. "You know about it?"

She tilts her head, "You n-never h-heard of the A-August Celestials?" Hadronix takes a mental note that she is stuttering less.

She shakes her head, "The school that the orphanage offered was pitiful at the best of times."

She frowns, "You… oh. Then…?"

"Don't pry." She already spilled the truth once, this isn't something she wants every sympathetic ear to hear.

A few moments pass as the monk seems deep in thought, "R-right, sorry." It seems like she wanted to say something else, "A-Anyway, there are four…" and from there, the monk went into detail about each one, clearly knowledgeable about them.

Then it dawns on Hadronix on how much she travels, "How could you have traveled so much if you're so… anxious?" She decides against saying fearful or squeamish.

She smiles and shrugs, "G-Good luck? I r-rarely run into trouble."

The hunter scoffs, "Must be nice, I'm more like a magnet for trouble."

* * *

Oh, she is a magnet for trouble, not even an hour passes after getting to the main forest and she was attacked by no less than three monkey things, _'Hozen, Raven calls them.' _Several bandits, _"There shouldn't even _**_be_ **_bandits here" _and one gigantic python, _"Those are more prevalent on the west side, where the forest is the thickest."_Yet, somehow the hunter draws the attention of all of them, ancestors only know why.

So, after all the of the current threats were dealt with, Raven and her made their way to the Temple of the Jade Serpent, a place the monk recommended to visit. "Hold." Hadronix stated just as they exited the forest.

"Hm?" Raven hums.

"Wolf." It would be nice to have a pet, it's something she tried to do over the years, and most of her taming ended up with the beast being only temporarily soothed. She whipped out a Freezing Trap right as the lupine lunged at her, causing the animal to become encased it in, _'Good, now I have an ample amount of time.'_

The other thankfully didn't interrupt as she went through the taming process. It took her longer than most other Hunters, well to be fair she wasn't properly trained yet. And right as the Freezing Trap's effects faded, the wolf obediently walked to her side, "Wow… That's the first time I-I've seen a t-taming…"

Hadronix nods as she pulls out some salted meat from her pocket, "Here you go, girl." The wolf happily barks as she downs it. _'Please, don't leave…'_


	5. Never Again

No luck, there seems to be absolutely no Hunter trainer in the entirety of Azeroth that will train Hadronix, rejection after rejection. _'Forget it.' _She can perform well enough, she'll figure it out on her own. Besides, she already managed to tame a wolf, _'I should probably get around to naming her…' _. The first pet she actually tamed and stayed, it still felt so unreal. She glances over at the brown-furred wolf, who is faithfully lying by her side, she unconsciously pets her, getting a content whimper in return, a plead for more. Hadronix smiles, "You're such a good girl." The wolf starts furiously wagging her tail.

After spending several minutes giving the beast ample attention, the Hunter pulls her map out, _'Where to next…?' _A loud roar interrupts her thoughts, well, traveling in Un'Goro Crater was an… experience to be sure, but not a place to wander about in. Bears were one thing, but dinosaurs? Another roar and Hadronix quickly stuffs her map in, "Come on, girl." The two get up and make a mad dash towards the incline that leads to Silithus, it isn't the best option, but it's better than sticking around to see what those **two** dinosaurs charging at **her** will do. _'Why me?'_

It wasn't until she reached the sandy, hot and humid climate of Silithus that she allowed herself some reprieve. She pulls out her water pouch and takes a few short sips. "Now… then." Taking refuge near a cliff-side, the only source of shade, she pulls her map out again, _'Looks like it'll be the Cenarion Refuge.' _Maybe she should just get a flight out? Shrugging to herself, she makes her way towards the neutral town, a true reprieve to someone not wanting to get themselves involved in the faction war. However, the two largest threats are the collosal insects peppering the far sides, and the sun beaming down.

Yet for once, just for once, nothing hounded her trip as she arrived at the town. "Welcome to the Cenarion Refuge, Pandaren." A male Night Elf greets her, giving her a brief bow before assuming his guard stance.

"Thank you." She gives a short bow in kind, not sure on what else to do, so she just strides in and takes in the sights, not that there is much.

"Why are they rising again? The Scarab Gate has been dormant since the heroes have killed their leader in the Ruins." She overhears a guard state, who is standing next to a person she assumes is the commander.

"Another one looking to rule, most likely." Came the reply, "We're going to have to deal with this one, too."

"We have reason to believe that this leader already has a number of them rounded up," Another one walks up, "and is mounting a coordinated assault."

"By Elune…" He sighs, "We'll mount a defensive, then strike this leader down, we must protect this area."

_'Well, that explains why I wasn't attacked,' _Hadronix internally sighs, _'instead my tendency to attract violence hits this place instead.' _Feeling guilty, even if she had nothing to do with it, she makes her way towards the guard, "Hello, sirs."

"A traveler? Welcome." Despite the worried exchange earlier, the three Night Elves manage to maintain a trained composure as she arrives, "Is there anything you need?"

"I… overheard you talking about a threat? A leader of sorts?" She asks.

"Yes, one of those," the commander snorts, "walking dog statues have assumed command of a portion of the bugs."

"And they are planning an assault." the second one, a messenger, adds.

"Which means he won't have anything to defend himself with?" The Hunter asks.

The commander nods, "That may be true but… the safety of this Refuge must come first."

"I'll head in and take him out." She offers, "Where is he at?"

That seem to bother them, "I am humbled you would offer your bow for our safety, but…" he trails off, "Very well," He pulls out a map, "Here, ma'am. Please, return alive."

With the destination in mind she nods. "I will do just that." She makes her way towards the inn, _'But first… some water and food.' _She walks into the open door Mess Hall, _'Wow, they are really tight on funds if they can't get a separate place for the townspeople.' _She waves at the cook, "Just some water and whatever the soldiers have for food, please." The Tauren wordlessly nods as she prepares a bowl of stew, with some sort of meat in it. _'Don't think about it.' _"Thank you." With that, she sits down with the standard issue meal.

_'Ancestors, this is…' _She all but chokes down the stuff, purposely avoiding whatever piece of meat floats in it, once she is done, she pulls out the slimy meat and whistles for her wolf, "I would offer something better…" She is interrupted by her wolf devouring it like it was the tastiest thing she ever ate. "Well then." The wolf happily barks._'I should learn from her example, I can't afford to be picky.' _Shaking her head in amusement, she takes the bowl to the sink and washes it herself. Now then, time to track down this leader.

* * *

The map may have shown this area to be sandy, but it she didn't expect it to be this bad, not even the main road was free of the stuff. Two huge insect pits lie on either of far sides of the land, and there were these cultists populating some of the place. Keeping her distance, she stuck to the main road, the huge walls of the Scarab Gate looming ahead. _'Now, take a left… here.' _She takes a small pathway that leads up a small hill, a vantage point the scouts use. Once she reached the top, she saw the creature in question, and indeed, it was one of those dog-statues. _'I don't know the name of them, and I really don't care either.'_

The leader still had its small army around it… time to lay low and wait.

It was nearly nightfall by the time the insects left, with his defense gone, she makes her way down the hill, eyes all but locked on the target. Her wolf obediently stayed quiet and by her side, she readies a trap and tosses it a few feet in front of her, then knocks an arrow. With an unspoken command, her wolf makes her way to behind the creature. _'Steady… breathe… aim… fire.' _The arrows pierces its way through the air and she readies another as the first one lands…

And bounces right off its stony-exterior. _'Ancestors…' _She quickly sheathes it as the giant walks her way, "Fool!" It exclaims as she pulls out a handgun, "You have forfeited your life!" It seems her wolf is making no more than small scratch marks. She jumps back as it activates her oil trap, causing it to comically slip and fall, she aims her pistol and makes no more than a decent dent in its natural armor. _'I need more punch, but I don't have…' _Shaking her head, she pulls out a small grenade as it stumbles and falls again. _'Wow, that's as sad as my firepower right now.' _She tosses it at him, and the satisfaction of a chunk of its body coming off with the explosion greets her.

Another unspoken command and the wolf is by her side, "Sorry girl, I didn't think it would have thick skin like that." She readies her second grenade, _'One left after this one…' _One of its legs fall off, the final explosive lands on its chest, ending its life. "There…" She pauses as her 'hunch' kicks in and she leaps forward, a number of insects have lined up to take a bite out of her. _'By the Celestials… the sound probably caught their attention.' _That was… careless to say the least. She tosses another quick oil trap and readies an arrow, however, unlike the giant, the insects seemed hardly bothered by the oil. _'Great.' _Her wolf efficiently bites into the head of the closest one. One of her arrows pierce the carapace of another, at least her arrows work on these oversized bugs.

They start dropping like flies once she finds her rhythm and before long, the small horde is dead. "Whew…" She gives herself a quick break as her wolf returns to her side, looking far worse than she is. "Here you go…" She offers a potion, _'I wish I could mend her like a Hunter is _**_supposed_ **_to.' _The wolf faithfully downs the offered potion and Hadronix wraps what wounds she can in cloth. "I apologize for the crap job, girl." Yet, despite her poor service, the wolf happily barks. "Yea I know, better than nothing." It still doesn't sting any less. "Now then, just…"

She is interrupted as the ground below her seems to cave in, she jumps to the side as a worm emerges, before it immediately shoots a dosage of poison at her, which her wolf intercepts, the sound of fur and skin boiling immediately fills the air. _'No.' _She knocks an arrow and scores a single hit before it retreats… and doesn't return, like it's entire purpose was just to…

She stops as she saw just how potent the natural toxin is, "No!" The wolf returns to her, the venom has already burned through a portion of her fur, and the excess that drips onto the ground burns through as well. Her wolf whimpers as if falls right in front of Hadronix. "NO! I…" She all but rips another potion out, "Come on, girl…" Yet she doesn't respond, "Nonononono." The beast stills. "Ancestors, I…" She's gone.

Dead, _'I… couldn't.' _Hadronix scolds herself, _'This is what I get for no training… I couldn't heal her properly, if I could have channeled the magic…' _Tears fall as the wolf simply lies there. "I'm sorry, girl." The Hunter pets the beast. The ground shakes once more, the worm returns, like it was giving her time to grieve, or maybe it was just gloating. Yet, before it could do anything, a fireball slams into its head, causing it to burst.

"Ma'am!" She hears someone shout, though all Hadronix does is spare a glance, _'Mage, Human.' _"Please, hurry, there are more coming to this position."

"She's dead." Is all Hadronix replied with.

"Damn it, woman. We don't have time for that!" Hadronix shoots a glare, but the man had already opened a portal and yanked her through it, landing them back in Cenarion Refuge.

The Pandaren all but collapsed, drained. _'She's dead.' _The commander walks up to her, "Thank you… the insects have scattered as soon as their leader died, we can't… ma'am?"

She wasn't listening, in that moment, she didn't care. "You're welcome." The words come out hollow, lifeless. _'She's dead. She's dead and it's my fault.' _The man hands her a generous amount of gold, "Keep it… the Refuge needs it more." She finally rises.

"Is there something else? It would be wrong to not reward you." He persists. "I am a high-ranking officer, surely there is something?"

_'A high-ranking…' _Her eyes gain some life, "A written recommendation to show to a Hunter trainer."

That seemed to confuse him, "You… aren't a Hunter already?"

She shakes her head, "I have," She pauses, "Defects, I rely on Engineering to make up for them, and as such, no one takes me in."

A silence follows, "Very well." He obtains a parchment and a pen, "I will do just that." He starts writing, "And… good luck, miss…?"

"Hadronix."

"Hadronix." He repeats as he hands her the paper, "There you go."

"Thank you, sir." Is all she states before she readies herself to leave.

_'I _**_will_ **_learn… and I refuse to lose another.'_

Never again.


End file.
